Lap-ring



(ModL) J. P.- MORRIS.

Lap Ring.

- No. 238,143. Patented Feb. 22,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. MORRIS, OF WALTON, TEXAS.

LAP-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,143, dated February22, 1881.

Application filed September 24, 1880.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,resident at Walton, in the county of Van Zandt and State of Texas, haveinven ted certain new and useful Improvements in Lap-Rings; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lap-rings; and it consists inthe peculiar construction and arrangement of the several parts, ashereinafter fully explained, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view, partly in section. Fig. 2 isan edge view, and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, of a ring constructedafter my iiwention.

a is the main bar, which has both ends bent over and brought neartogether in the same plane, as shown, so as to leave a suflicient spacein which to place the connecting-bar b. The turned-over end a of thering" a is furnished with a vertical mortise, (0 in which is placed thetenon b of bar I), which is held on a suitable pin, b so that it turnsreadily, as The turned-over'end a of the bar I) is provided with aT-shaped mortise, a, which is adapted to receive the T-shaped head If,formed on the end of the hinged connectingbar I). V

c is a spring-catch placed in the T-mortise m, where it is held by asuitable screw or bolt. This catch may be made of an elastic bar, whichwill spring outward of itself, or it may be a stiff bar pressed outwardby a spring, a, placed in a recess in the end of the ring a. The upperend of the catch 0 is provided with arear lip, 0 which slides into asuitable recess in the ring a, and prevents dirt and other (ModeL)substances from getting between the catch-bar and the end of the ring.The lower end of the catch-bar is suitably covered by a lip'on the endof the ring a, as shown. This ring is made oval or oblong in shape, sothat it will always adjust itself and bring the draft on the hooked vends a and entirely clear of the connectingbar b.

My ring cannot be drawn out of shape when sustaining a heavy draft. TheT-head b fits snugly into the T-mortise a, and the two parts interlockand effectually prevent any opening or widening of the space filled bythe bar I).

In ordinary rings the locking devices are "often rendered entirelyuseless by reason of the stretching of the ring and the consequentdrawing apart of disconnected ends. This defeet is completely overcomeby my method of interlocking the ends of the connecting parts, ashereinbefore described.

It will be seen that when the T-head is in place in the T-mortise nolateral bending of the bar I) can take place. The sides of the mortise aserve as jaws to hold the end of the bar I), and thereby entirelyrelieve the catch 0 from strain and liability to injury.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the ring 0., having the mortise a and T-mortise a,of the bar I), furnished with a tenon, b, and T-head b and thespring-catch 0, provided with the rear lip, 0 and secured in the innerend of the T-mortise a, all arranged to operate substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

